How about a journey to one of Auckland’s northernmost suburbs? This is Lucas Heights. It sits pretty on the North Shore. The suburb is directly west of Albany.
Lucas Heights has a story that starts well before today’s houses. Maori knew this area well. There is proof of a Pa. It stood on the north bank of Lucas Creek. The Maori name for it may have been Kaipatiki. That means ‘the feeding ground of the flounder’.
Lucas Creek is the east border of the suburb. It got its name in the early 1840s. Daniel Clucas was a flax miller and landowner. He settled here. So the creek became Lucas Creek. The name is a slightly incorrect reference to him.
By the late 1880s Lucas Heights had changed. It became a place for growing fruit. Boats could go up the creek to a point. A small wharf was built. It was on the west bank. Residents first called the settlement Lucas Creek.
The area around Lucas Heights has seen change. The North Shore was once dense bushland. Maori called it Okahukura. This means ‘place of Kahukura’. Kahukura was the god of rainbows. The name may refer to the waterfall in Gills Reserve. The creek was very important. It had many flounder. Maori called it Kaipatiki.
Early European settlers cut timber. Gum-diggers followed. They looked for hardened kauri sap. It was used to make a quick profit. They left behind a barren wasteland.
Lucas Heights changed over time. Most houses you see were built between 2000 and 2009. There is still some older housing. It dates back to between 1910 and 1919. About 30% of the housing is residential. Around 7% is for investment. The rest, 62%, are lifestyle properties.
Albany became an important crossroads. It linked travelers going north from Northcote Point. It also linked those traveling east-west between Wade and Riverhead. Despite this Albany did not grow much for many years.
Today Lucas Heights is part of Auckland. It’s a growing suburb. It still has hints of its past. Lucas Creek continues to flow. It reminds us of Daniel Clucas. The name Kaipatiki echoes the Maori history. Fruit growing is no longer the main industry. Houses and lifestyle properties now dot the landscape.
Lucas Heights is a place where history meets modern life. The early settlers shaped the land. Maori knew it long before. This suburb continues to evolve. It connects to the wider Auckland area. It also keeps its own distinct identity. It is a place with a past and a future.